'Tis the Season in Victorian London. Oh, not the Christmas season, but the spring time of the year when all the eligible young ladies and men flock to London for teas, garden parties and balls in hope of finding a suitable mate. This year, Hannah Reid, Duchess of Dunbarton, has come in search of a lover. She is not looking for a husband, as she was widowed a year ago, spent her year of mourning and is finally free to live her life as she chooses.

Hannah married the Duke of Dunbarton when she was only 19, and he was 54 years her senior. Most believed it was only for the title and his money, but she became quite fond of the duke, and he taught her everything she knows about life and how to live it. She had been completely faithful to him, and now she is ready to spread her wings. She has chosen her lover already; he just doesn't know it yet.

Mr. Constantine Huxtable is in London for the Season just to enjoy taking a lover and to attend all the festivities. He has a reputation as a dark, sinister man, full of secrets. Hannah, the Duchess, has developed the persona of an ice queen over the years of her marriage and holds secrets of her own.

Hannah begins a game of sorts with Constantine, putting off his offers and invitations. But he catches on quickly and turns the tables on her. Sooner than she expects, she ends up in his bedchamber. Night after night, they rendezvous at his home. However, those late nights turn to endeared times of meaningful conversation, and the hard shells of their lives begin to soften and peel away. And what is each of them finding? Is it a longing for a real relationship? Is it true love? Will their secrets keep them from ever finding and embracing love?

Mary Balogh has masterfully woven a romantic tale of the importance of family, of compassion, and of love and forgiveness in this fifth book in her series about the Huxtable family. A SECRET AFFAIR will not disappoint, and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the "secrets."